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"I know his conscience. I know his faith. He has honored the lessons of home and family that he learned in North Carolina, and he brings those values to shape a better America together with all of us."

Sen. John Kerry on Sen. John Edwards upon naming him his VP running mate, 2004

John Edwards, John Kerry's Vice Presidential running mate in 2004 and Democrat presidential contender in 2008, was on trial for charming an old heiress out lots of money to help cover up his affair with his mistress and their subsequent baby. Last week the trial ended in a hung jury, but you know how juries lie about such things.

Listerine heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon is one of many gullible Democrats whom Edwards and his ilk can bilk out of their money. Theresa Heinz Kerry, John Kerry's target for marriage, is another example. Almost the entire Democrat big donor pool is made up of people who did not earn their money but rather inherited or married it. If you made your money the old fashioned way, you are unlikely to fall for the maudlin "two Americas" the divisive Dems like to peddle. Edwards practiced the type of class-envy politics that, sadly, Obama is succumbing to in his attempt to divide the nation for his own political advantage.

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The trial turned for Edwards when North Carolina voted down legalizing same-sex marriage. He then changed his plea to "not gay" and also pled to the lesser charge of "jackass," which is something we all knew eight years ago.

Andrew Young, Edwards' chief of staff, who initially claimed the baby as his, was asked to look at Rielle Hunter's background and Facebook page. He found that she was into astrology, hip hop music and sex. Apparently, she was completing her degree with a major in Kardashian Studies at UCLA.

Edwards slept with Hunter the first night he met her. To be fair, she was a groupie, easy and a videographer, the hat trick of seduction to a narcissist like Edwards. But he continued to deny that he was the baby-daddy, about up until it was old enough to vote for him.

Edwards pulled out all of his trial lawyer tricks, delaying the proceedings by having a doctor say he had "a life-threatening condition." He made his fortune suing rich targets and getting doctors to say what he wanted, so that was no surprise. Gosh I hope he is going to be OK. Who will raise all those kids and teach them values, the proper use of hair care products and when to rinse and repeat?

Edwards' lawyers wisely did not let him testify. They argued that Bunny's money was a "gift" to him, thus skirting the charge of illegal use of campaign funds. I wonder if the "gifts" showed on their tax returns, and if they paid their ballyhooed "fair share" to the government.

Kudos to the "National Enquirer" for breaking the stories on Edwards, Gary Hart, and Jesse Jackson's illegitimate kid -- stories the mainstream media did not. Even more allegations of Jesse Jackson's affairs have recently surfaced, which might distract Jackson from whatever it is that he does for a living. However, the sex was consensual (unlike Clinton's), so things are looking up for the Dems.

Both sides of the aisle have issues. "Family values" advocate and Christian Radio host Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) resigned after an affair that was often conjugally consummated in a state park; it seems less hypocritical because Republicans do favor drilling on public lands.

Europeans find our Puritanical, Pollyanna-ish behavior quaint. It is not that the French president is having an affair, it is with whom he dallies that makes news in Europe. The mistress of the new socialist president of France, Francois Hollande, attended his swearing-in. All the major newspapers cover sex-capades there; it is like their sports section. Our newspaper business is dying while Europe's is thriving; perhaps it's because our national pastime is just baseball.

John Edwards skated because feckless politicians have written campaign finance laws so ambiguous and so weighted in their favor that it is almost impossible to convict anyone of wrongdoing. We call this "honor among thieves." One of the first things shady lawyers like Edwards learn in law school is that, in America, a man is innocent until he runs out of campaign money.

JWR contributor Ron Hart grew up in Tennessee and began writing a column for his hometown paper in 2002. He attended The University of Memphis and the Institute for Political and Economic Systems at Georgetown University. Ron graduated Magna Cum Laude and was elected student government president. Upon getting his MBA, he went to work for Goldman Sachs. He was appointed to the Tennessee Board of Regents by then Governor Lamar Alexander and is now a private investor. He appears on CNN and has been quoted in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.